Both Sides of Night
by Firestorm Studios
Summary: Stumbling through the city, bleeding, while dawn lines the sky and the torrential rain of the night has passed, Sora reflects every moment that brought him there - and those ones beyond. Oneshot, AU, SoraxRoxas, mature themes and language.


Hi everyone! I'm back for my first release in a VERY long time. I wrote this in one night, just spontaneously, so forgive me if some of it seems inadequately explained, or rushed, or out of place. But, here, this is a completely original KH story, dark, a bit tragic, but hopeful. I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters or properties.

--

The brunette boy staggered through the grey streets. Dawn lined the sky. The night's rain was falling off the cold chrome of the city, dripping into the puddles forming on the concrete pavement. Where he stepped, a disruption of blood swelled through the waters, the crimson diluting to brown in the musty liquid. He could feel everything around him. Finally, he stumbled. A red handprint marked itself on the sidewalk, and his other hand flew to his wound. His mind was continually going over everything. Every minute of every hour. Every person. Someone was calling out his name.

"Sora!"

Sora looked up hopefully for any sign, any chance that it was the boy he loved.

"Sora!" The footsteps headed his way, and Sora cringed. In each stride of the person's running, with each light footfall, he heard the thumping of rain, the clap of lightning. He closed his eyes, his brain unable to take it. He couldn't tell whether it was fatigue or not, but Sora collapsed.

The person stopped for a split second. "...Sora?"

The boy dashed to Sora's side, picking up the boy. "Sora! SORA!!!"

--  
Both Sides of Night

By Firestorm Studios

--

"Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you finish getting yourself ready already? It's like, seven-forty."

"Sorry, Riku! I'll be done in one second!"

Sora splashed his face with water one last time, pulled his jacket over his shoulders and looked himself in the mirror. A big smile crept over his face as he thought of the night ahead. "Life doesn't get much better!" He assured himself, throwing out all his troubles.

-7:39pm-

"Finally!" Riku exclaimed as Sora opened the door and casually exited the bathroom. "If I knew you were going to have that long a shower, I would've called the reservoirs earlier. Told them to expect shortages."

"Ah, shaddup." Sora laughed at his friend, hitting him on the shoulder. "When do we move? I didn't just wrench myself out of the bathroom to wait around."

"We're going now!" Riku exclaimed with a smile, leading the brunette down stairs and through a door into the hot and musty garage. Riku smiled and rubbed his first car, admiring the paintwork.

It was a terribly scratched and mottled red.

"So this is the legendary Riku-mobile you've been raving about all week? How old ARE you anyway?" Sora joked, sniggering as he looked.

"Yeah well, we'll see how your first car looks on a janitor's wage... At a burger joint." Riku said, sounding a little ticked off as he pulled himself into the driver's seat, stopping for a second to shuffle a caught part on his baggy jeans into the car seat and shutting the door.

"Hey Riku, c'mon man, I was joking." Sora said, pulling himself into the passenger seat of the 80's convertible. "You know I'm comfortable driving with you!" He hopped up onto his knees in his seat, looking at Riku, who didn't turn to face him. "Riku... You aren't thinking about that, right?"

"Yeah, I am. You know perfectly well what I feel for you. You've made it pretty clear what you feel, but you should know how much your opinion means to me, Sora." Riku said as he backed out of the garage. "Even if it is just a car, it's my hard work, and your opinion on that means so much to me..."

"Look, Riku, you know how I feel. I'm not into guys." Sora said as he adjusted himself into the seat, and pulled the seatbelt over himself, locking it in with a click.

"Not into guys, or not into me?" Riku asked poisonously. Sora was about to respond, really angrily, when he got a call. He tossed his cell phone to Sora, not wanting to risk getting caught at this early stage in his free driving.

"Hello? Oh, hey Kairi! Yeah, Riku's just driving. Yep. Okay, okay! We'll be there soon!" He hung up, still holding Riku's mobile in both hands.

"What did Lady K have to say?" Riku rhymed, finally pulling a smile to his face again.

"She said if we get there any later, it's a criminal offence- and NO, that is NOT an excuse for you to- RIKUUUUU!" Sora yelled as Riku grinned evilly whilst speeding the car well beyond neighbourhood limits.

Sometimes, it was good to live without worries.

-7:48pm-

Sora took another sip out of his drink (an orange juice, he was taking pleasure in noting to himself), observing the crowd around him.

Riku was talking to Kairi. Riku was homosexual, Kairi enjoyed the company of guys however, leaving every girl who liked her a little disappointed. Kairi was a great girl. Friendly, bubbly and accommodating to all, yet also intelligent and well mannered.

Roxas and Namine were talking to each other as she mixed up her own drink. Roxas was Sora's best friend, always had been. They'd grown up together, done everything together, and somehow they'd grown up with each other in mind. Then Roxas went for Namine, who was a lot of the things that Roxas loved. Sora would really like Roxas, if it weren't for-

"Yo, Sora." Axel said, shoving onto the seat beside him. "What's up?"

"Eh, not much, Axel." Sora said, looking up to the taller one. Axel looked and sounded way older, but in truth wasn't older than nineteen. He was like the older brother to the group.

"Lookin' at KAIIIIRRIIIIII?" Axel taunted, leaning in on Sora and making exaggerated kissing gestures with his face, making Sora laugh.

"For your information, I'm not!" Sora chuckled through his laughing, still giggling at Axel's facial expressions. "Seriously I'm not." He said, then realised Axel had slinked off. Sora's smile faded briefly, as he said to himself, "I know who I'm looking at..."

"Sora?"

"Huhn?"

Kairi smiled at him, closing her eyes. "You wanna join Roxas, Namine and I?"

"Oh yeah, sure!" Sora exclaimed, smiling brightly as he hopped off his chair and walked over to the blonde couple. It was then that Sora looked into Roxas' eyes, sapphire-blue like his own. Sora swallowed, trying to hold back the rosy blush that was quickly creeping into his cheeks.

_Oh Roxas, I love you._ He thought. _Please, be with me..._

-8:30pm-

Dinner. Sora couldn't say it was anything fancy, rather an incredibly long fast food boost which acted as a prelude to the night. Needless to say, they talked about whatever came to mind – their friends, jobs, everything. Things, however, turned when Sora needed to go to the bathroom.

"Speaking of the bathroom," Kairi said a few seconds after he left, "It is a need I require as well." She stood and left, following where Sora had been going. The remaining group was completely silent until the two had gone around the corner, and then broke out into wolf whistles, whooping and obscene gestures!

Sora left the bathroom, only for a soft hand to grab his own. The redhead pulled him into the hallway, locking him into a tight embrace. "So-ra..." She chimed. "We've known each other for all sixteen years of our lives. I know when something is wrong, and I haven't seen you this distant in these past few months since Riku bullied you for that week or two in Grade three."

"It's nothing, Kai."

"No. No no no no no. It's something. Look, Sora, I don't mind, whatever it is, I've seen you through your life so far and, AND, I'm gonna see you to the end of it!" She said, her face a centimetre away from his. Her eyes were wide and analytical, somehow wiser and older than her face would seem.

Sora closed his eyes, dropped his shoulders, and relented. "Okay, fine... Kairi – and you're the first one I've told – I like guys..." He stopped, then widened his eyes. "Oh God! I told Riku I don't like guys because he confessed to me and he's not my type!"

Kairi shushed him, then closed her eyes, smiled, and simply sighed. "I knew it... So, was it Roxas you fell for?"

Sora just nodded.

"Well, Sora, I'm delighted you told me! You've come to terms with who you are, and no matter who else you have in your life, that's always great for you!" She stopped, placed her hands on her hips, and looked him up and down. "Your good skinny jeans, that shirt Roxas likes of yours, and your newest jacket. I wondered why you were dressed in impress." She laughed at herself. "Look at me, I'm rambling. Don't worry, Sora, I won't tell anybody." She smiled, leaned in on him, and kissed him on the cheek. Sora placed his hand on the kiss and smiled at her, as if treasuring it.

"Thank you, Kairi."

"ALAS! A hetero has died this night!" She said in a deep, Brunhilde-mocking tone, proceeding to grab Sora's head with her arm and shriek out fake German opera. "LEHT'S GET DU BACKK TO DAS TABLE!!!" She screamed, practically dragging Sora alongside her back to the group, laughing all the way.

Axel stood up from behind the bin near the toilet where he'd been throwing out the group's rubbish. "Well, that adds a spin on things. Good for you, Sora." He said for himself, then placed his hands behind his head and walked back to the group, carefree.

He walked away with purpose in his step.

-10:26pm-

They proceeded on to a nightclub of sorts which was run with two sections: A non-alcoholic one for minors and an alcohol-heavy one for adults. Needless to say, the music playlists were startlingly different from one another.

These hours were a blur.

-00:34am-

Sora sat outside the back entrance to the club. He'd never been one for dancing, so he considered the one and a half hours he'd lasted on the dance floor a miracle, as he did the fact that he'd sat in this alleyway unaddressed for half an hour. Suddenly, the door to the adult club swung open, and Axel staggered out.

Axel plopped down next to him. Sora could smell some mixed drink or spirit on him. Sora had never once been interested in alcohol, so he couldn't tell.

"Life's pretty good, isn't it Sora?" He slurred. "We get to go out like this, together. And you guys... You're all in the same Grade, share the same interests, all love each other to death... And you let me tag along. Thanks." He said. "Look at me. I'm a washed-up frontman from a garage band going nowhere fast."

"C'mon Axel, we all know that Fella-Cillin is going to make it. You've got those recording sessions so that you can record some songs for a record deal, right?" Sora suggested, patting Axel on the back.

"Yeah, I guess. See, Sora, you're really lucky. You got the power to make everything right, for everyone."

"That's not true..."

"Yes it is. I'll prove it."

Axel was on top on him, leaning in on his mouth. Their lips met, and Axel closed his eyes. To Sora, it felt wrong. The alcohol had hardened his lips, and he felt like his were being bruised. Sora used both hands, pushed into Axel's chest, tried to get him off, but the older man wouldn't budge. He just deepened the bitter, cold, painful kiss. In desperation, Sora raised his hand and slammed his knuckles down on Axel's head. The blow hit Axel, where his hand went immediately flying to his head, and he rolled off the smaller brunette.

"What's the Hell's the matter with you?" Sora demanding, panting and shocked.

"Ishould ask you... The same damnquestion." Axel slurred, struggling to his feet and dragging a rusty nail off the ground. In any other situation the makeshift weapon would been too small, laughably so – but Axel's height and unpredictable staggering made Sora very uneasy.

Axel fell stumbled forward, swiping diagonally. Sora tried to step back, but stumbled on a doorstep – and when he leaned forward to right himself, he felt the small, rounded blade penetrate his skin near his ribcage and reave downwards, tearing its way through sheer force of the blunt, rounded edge.

Sora shouted loudly, his left hand going straight to the wound, putting pressure on it. Sora had to go. Get to a hospital. He knew his blood would get infected. He looked back at the club doors, and thought better of it. He knew Axel was drunk. Hadn't been thinking. Defended himself from Sora's hit. All the people in there would just judge them both, and he didn't want to be caught with the foul smell of Axel's alcohol in his mouth. He stood and made for the exit of the alleyway, running into the streets beyond.

-1:01am-

Thunder rumbled overhead as Axel crawled over to the wall and leaned on it, throwing the bloodied nail down a drain.

Riku walked out of the minor's club. "Huh." He stated, going down and sitting next to Axel. "Trust you to get drunk with only a group of minors for support." He then teased. "Really, life's too good to sink yourself in drink like that. It'll make you depressed. Ruin all your friendships."

Axel turned over. "I don't think you're one to chastise me on ruining friendships, buddy." He squeezed out, his attitude suddenly sour. "Sora. All your feelings. All your selfish lil' wants and needs from him. You're suffocating the kid, y'know. Not what he needs, not what he wants."

"What he needs?" Riku asked, tilting his head upwards in interest.

Axel dropped his arms, looked up to the sky and laughed, a loud "HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" As the first bolt of lightning fell from the heavens, delivering an ear-splitting crack of thunder with it. "HE'S GAY, RIKU. LIKE YOU." He yelled over the noise to the silver-haired boy.

"...What?"

"You heard me. He's like you. And what half of me is." Axel shifted over so that he was leaning on his side. "And you know what?" He lifted his finger and pointed at the emerald-eyed seventeen-year-old. "You're just not what he likes. Not what he needs. Not what he wants." Axel began laughing again, wheezing out his cackling until Riku pulled him up by the scruff of his black hoodie, furious.

"How did you learn this?"

"At the burger joint. You guys sent me to dispose of all the damn wrappers. I heard every word of that confession Sora gave Kairi. Ironic, isn't it? You guys, don't give a damn about me... And then, I take out the trash, and I know EVERYTHING!" He spat, and Riku threw him back down.

Riku stood, pacing around the alleyway. "Well how? How can I change? How can I become the person he wants?"

Axel began laughing again, with hiccups beginning in the middle of his speech. "You can't- *hic* well, you may as well not. *hic* Because, he likes some else *hic* altogether."

Axel took a deep breath as the sky lit up with electricity again. "He likes Roxas."

The subsequent thunder rumbled, and without another word, Riku turned and left down the street, walking calmly. Behind him, Axel pulled himself under the cover of the clubs roof as the first drops of rain began to fall.

Sometimes, it was good to live without worries.

-1:39am-

"Roxy, you're distracted." Namine said, looking at her boyfriend.

"Oh- am I?" Sorry, Nam." He said, grinning, taking her hand and starting a small face-to-face dance with the music. It was surprisingly elegant compared to the other clubgoer's cocktails of tween moves and horrible imitations of dance.

Just for a laugh, Roxas closed his eyes and swayed his head, pretending it was jazz music, just following up by starting a 40's jitterbug, scooping up Namine in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and, still smiling, asked. "Are you in love with Sora?"

Namine got her answer as she felt his neck heat at the mention of the brunette. "How- how did you know?"

She smiled further. "You dolt... You should clear out your desk more often, and stop looking at him so wistfully. Don't worry, I'm not angry, in fact I'm proud of you for not denying it, instead accepting who you are and who you love."

Roxas thought back to the diary he kept on his desk, thinking it was safe due to common decency, then remembered that decency and privacy don't apply to girlfriends. He chuckled.

Namine jumped out of his arms. "So what are you dancing around here for? You go get him! You love him, and I'm sure that he'll be with you."

Roxas nodded. "You're right. It doesn't matter about our gender, or our preferences, who we are, what we do, or anything else for that matter. Love is universal!" He exclaimed, and pecked Namine on the cheek. "Thanks for making me so happy, all this time!" He said, then paved through partygoers to get to the exit.

Namine's eyes teared up, happy for Roxas and yet sorry for herself. He felt the kiss on her cheek, as if treasuring it. "Thanks, Roxas."

Kairi walked over. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. Like those two, I'm gonna be fine."

As Roxas left to proclaim love, Sora continued his slow march, beginning to feel dizzy.

"_Oh, Roxas, I love you..._" He thought. "_Please be with me..._"

-2:00am-

There he was. Riku put one hand on Sora's shoulder and spun him around. "Sora!" He said, squeezing Sora's right arm brutally. "Why didn't you tell me? I knew it. I fucking KNEW it. You just can't stand me!" Riku demanded, as the last of the lightning raged overhead.

"No, Riku!" He said weakly. "That's not it at all... I've only just come to terms with myself! A-and Riku, you're a great friend, but I just don't love you!"

Riku pulled him closer. "That a lie! That's a –" He smelled the foul, bitter mix of saliva and alcohol. "No way. No GODDAMNED way." Riku shoved Sora back in disbelief. "You-" He rounded on Sora. "You KISSED Axel? You kissed a drunk, a brother figure who is IRRESPONSIBLE and CORRUPTIVE? Oh my God. You've been gay for a few hours and you're already a whore!"

Sora's tears ran down his eyes. Nothing could be said to hide his shame. He didn't mention he'd defended himself, or about the still bleeding wound that hadn't yet seeped through his shirt. He just cried.

"You love Roxas, my ass. You've already soiled your chances with him. He won't love you now."

At this, Sora's heart and the clouds above split in unison. Sora let out one wail, filled with sorrow and resonating in the night around as the rain began to fall. It soon thundered down, erasing the scent of alcohol, bringing forth the blood on his shirt. Sora's hair fell about his face as the water drenched him. Riku didn't even look back, too consumed by anger.

He walked away with purpose in his step.

-3am-

He walked through the deserted city street. No-one walked alongside him. Even places where there were a thousand good memories, they seemed to fail him. He had lost all sense of direction now. He could only feel his fatigue, the throbbing of his ever-bleeding wound, and the growing pressure in his head, blinding his senses, making him ill. He could feel his mind caving in.

These hours were a blur.

-4:15am-

Roxas dashed to Sora's side, picking up the boy.

"Sora! SORA!!"

-8:38am-

He opened his eyes for a second. Too blurry to see. He closed them again.

-8:52am-

He took a long, shuddering breath that felt like it wouldn't satisfy his lungs; like he couldn't breathe at all.

-9:04am-

He coughed a little, knowing well the confusion of anaesthetic sleep, and slowly opened his eyes. He felt like he'd been sleeping for days on end. He eyes blurred into focus, and he could see the kind, smiling face of the boy he loved, golden hair shining from the light filing in from the open window. "Life doesn't get much better..." Sora spluttered, looking into Roxas' eyes.

"Sora," Roxas said, taking the brunette's soft hand, tag sliding down his wrist. "I love you."

"I love you too, so, so much." Sora said, as Roxas took Sora's head in his hands and kissed his lips, softly, beautifully – it felt perfect.

-9:14am-

Roxas was in the middle of hearing Sora's story of the night, stroking his hand and waiting during the thirty-second periods when Sora succumbed briefly to the general anaesthetic, when Axel walked in.

Roxas immediately stood. "Don't you dare. Really!" He said, clenching his fists to defend Sora. He reared back his fist and rammed it home, directly into Axel's jaw. The uppercut sent Axel reeling back onto the doorframe.

Roxas was about to go in for a second hit when Sora called out. "Roxas, please don't. He was drunk... Unaware... I don't hate him."

"But he-"

"He wasn't himself... Please, Roxas, I want to talk with him."

Roxas dropped his head, face still scrunched, fists still clenched, and stood aside to let the injured Axel walk over to the side of Sora's bed. "Sora, I'm so sorry. I... There's nothing. I'm disgusted by myself, and-" He saw the stitched wound on Sora's ribcage, and he broke out into sobs. "-Oh God. I'm so sorry!"

"Axel, Axel..." Sora said, looking the sobbing man in the eyes. "You've been with us for ages, and we all still love you... It's me who's sorry. I didn't realise that all this time, we'd been making you depressed." Sora smiled. "And, you've given us more times of happiness than this one wrong move..."

Relief flooded over Axel's face, and he dropped to his knees in relief, like a holy man confessing sin. "Thank you, so much. I'm so sorry. So sorry..."

-9:34am-

They heard the approaching voices of two girls and one, deeper voice. The three glanced at each other, nervous. Riku stepped in first, followed by Kairi and Namine. He looked in, and turned back to the girls. "We're here to visit **him**?"

"Riku, Sora's had blood poisoning, and Roxas has been with him, with**out** sleep!" Kairi replied indignantly, a fire in her eyes.

"I wasn't talking about either of them." Riku said, glaring at Axel. Riku stepped towards him. "You made it sound so evil. Like hatred. It was so innocent, Sora loving Roxas, and you made it sound like, like... Malevolence, for Christ's sake! Spite!" Riku exclaimed, furious at the redhead. He then turned over to Sora. "Sora, my God, I didn't know Roxas was the one who made you love. I didn't know Axel kissed you against your will! Sora, please! Please forgive me!"

Riku began to cry, tears falling, the drops reminding Sora all too much of the falling rain.

"Riku..." He said. "I forgive you, and Axel, and I'd do it over and over. Because, as my love said, it doesn't matter about our gender, or our preferences, or who we are, or what we do, because love is universal!" He smiled. "I love all of you, like family, and love, above all, through everything, it's from this love that I'll always be by your sides, like you're all at mine now!"

"Never again. Never Goddamn again. From here onwards, everything about me goes to art and to you guys." Axel said, determination in his voice as he folded his arms.

"I want to be with all of you, and so, I must never again judge others, and never my friends, without seeing what is truth..." Riku declared, eyes in deep thought.

"I gotta start over, but I don't mind at all. Unpredictability is what makes life worth living." Namine said, smiling to the window.

"Yeah! Good or bad, the experiences that happen together that make us closer. That we can forgive and move on, it's what love is." Kairi finished looking around at everyone.

Roxas turned back to Sora. "That's love."

"Love..." Sora repeated, as the two kissed again.

-8:43pm-

Sora placed down the book he was reading, courtesy of Roxas, and looked out the window. The rain was falling. It reminded Sora of the events, cycling through his head. The brunette smiled solemnly.

Maybe the rain wasn't so bad. It had washed off him all the darkness of the night before. As it fell, he smiled happily as he thought of his friends, and his love – and all that had changed, for better or worse, on both sides of that night.

"_Life doesn't get much better_."

-Both Sides of Night-

-FIN-


End file.
